


Snufkin's Flu

by dizzysodas



Category: Moominvalley (Cartoon 2019), Mumintroll | Moomins Series - Tove Jansson
Genre: Illnesses, M/M, Mutual Pining, Sick Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-14
Updated: 2019-05-17
Packaged: 2020-03-05 06:41:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,537
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18823198
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dizzysodas/pseuds/dizzysodas
Summary: Snufkin hated people fussing over him, but that's just the situation he found himself in.Moomintroll tries to nurse Snufkin back to health.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> hi! i just got into the moomins, and i cant stop thinking about these funky little dudes. this is my first serious fanfic ive written in a few years, i hope you like it!

“Oh, dear. Snufkin, are you alright? Your face is all flushed.” Moominmama asked, furrowing her brow. She was outside gardening, tending to her roses when Snufkin walked up to the Moominhouse and greeted her. Walking up to him, she pressed her paw against his forehead and frowned. “You’re burning up too…”

Snufkin chuckled half heartedly and gently moved her paw off his face. “Yes, I’m alright… Just feeling a little under the weather. Don’t worry about me Moominmama. But like I asked, is Moomintroll inside? I was wondering if I could borrow him for a bit and show him something.”

“Hm. I believe he’s inside reading, but he might be a little tired since Sniff came over earlier. Oh!” She put down her gardening scissors and hurriedly wiped her hands on her apron. “I made some fresh bread and homemade jam this morning, would you like some?”

“Oh no, I must go get Moomintroll now, or else what I’m going to show him will be gone. But thank you, I’ll have some when I get back!” Hurrying inside of the house, Snufkin ran up their steep stairs, warranting a, “Now, no running inside of the house, young man!” from Moominpappa. “Sorry!” Snufkin shouted back, going at a slightly slower pace. Walking up to Moomin’s room, he gave a light knock before opening the door. There Moomin was, laying on his bed while reading what seemed to be some sort of fantasy novel. Snufkin eyed him over for a second, suddenly feeling tense. Not in a bad way, it’s just…

It didn’t last for long, as Moomin whipped his head around and grinned so big that Snufkin couldn’t help but smile back. “Snufkin!” Setting his book down quickly, Moomintroll bounced up from his bed and jogged over to him. “I didn’t expect to see you today! You’ve been gone for the past few days, and it’s begun to feel rather…” Moomin cleared his throat, now a little flustered. “It’s good to see you again. What brings you here? Moominmama made-” “Oh, yes, I know. I’ll get some later, but you must come with me. I found something real interesting, I-” Snufkin’s voice faltered before he got sent into a coughing fit, which lasted a little too long to not worry Moomintroll. Holding his chest, he cleared his throat and blinked some involuntary tears out of his eyes. Voice slightly weaker, he continued, “I think you’d really like it.”

“Oh, no. Snufkin, you’re not sick, are you? Let’s go downstairs, I’ll get you some water.” Moomin grabbed hold of Snufkin’s arm, pulling him to the door. “No, I’m fine. Let’s go out and down the ladder, there’s no use in worrying. Come on.” Snufkin insisted, gently moving Moomin’s paw off of him. Moomin frowned. “Well, if you say so… Let’s go then!”

They quickly scurried down the ladder, ran across the plains that surrounded Moominhouse and ran into the forest. They ran for what seemed like a long time, with Snufkin always a little bit ahead of Moomintroll. Moomin started panting, his speed slowing with each step. “Snufkin, we’ve been going for a while now, are we almost there?” He called, struggling to force out the words. “Yes, we’re almost there, come on!” He called back.

Suddenly, they came into a clearing. It was a small meadow with a stream running through it, and more noticeably, thousands of butterflies were swarming overhead.

“Wow!” Exclaimed Moomin, instinctively grabbing onto Snufkin’s arm. Bouncing up and down, he smiled and yelled, “This is beautiful, Snufkin! How on earth did you ever find this? I didn’t know that we had butterflies… er…”

“Migrate. The butterflies are migrating through here, going south for their mating cycle. I didn’t know myself, I guess they’re a bit hard to spot… Unless you stumble across them like me, I suppose.”

They sat down onto the soft grass and simply looked up at the sky for a while, viewing the beautiful creatures that basically made the sky orange and yellow. There were so many of them! Moomin began dozing off, and Snufkin couldn’t be bothered to wake him. Maybe it was for selfish reasons. Moomintroll was a hugger in his sleep, and every sleepover they had together proved that. It was always the same. They would try going to sleep, and Snufkin, being the night owl that he was, would always fall asleep after Moomin. Moomin would toss and turn before moving over and latching onto Snufkin. And Snufkin would always feel paralyzed! Firstly, it was uncomfortable being affectionate, even if the perpetrator was doing it unknowingly and unconsciously. Not because he didn’t enjoy it (the rapid beating of his heart always disproved that), but because he simply wasn’t used to it. Admittedly, he was a bit touch starved. And secondly, he never knew what to do. On one hand, he wanted to hug Moomintroll back (some of his deepest, most secret fantasies consisted of this), but on the other hand, he was so, so afraid of his dearest friend waking up at some point of the night and feeling disgusted with him. He couldn’t risk that. So he would stay there stiff as a board, and try to put some distance between him and his friend until Moomin would eventually roll off. Only then could he sleep.

It was the exact same this time. Moomintroll started gently snoring, before rolling over and throwing his arms around Snufkin’s spindly frame. Snufkin felt his heart quicken and his face turn hotter. He would’ve stayed still for a while to enjoy it, but it was too bad that he was already running a fever from earlier in the day. Instead, he felt lightheaded. Crawling from out of Moomin’s grasp, Snufkin began dragging himself to the nearby stream to splash some water on his face. Well, that’s what he intended to do, but instead he fell to the ground with a thump, fully passed out.

***

Snufkin awoke a few hours later, groggy and with a headache. It seemed like someone brought him back to Moominhouse, because when he woke up, he was snugly tucked into Moomintroll’s bed with a half-melted ice pack on his forehead. Taking it off, he sat up and groaned, for there was a pain in his side. He figured he probably fell down the wrong way, and got up anyway, quickly making his way out of the room and down the stairs.

Snorkmaiden saw him first, gasping and running over to the foot of the stairs. “Snufkin! We were all so worried!”

Snufkin grimaced, sighing shortly afterwards. “My, my, now how many people know about this? I’ll have to admit, I don’t like it when people worry about me.”

Snorkmaiden grabbed his hand, guiding him down the rest of the stairs and to the kitchen. “Now don’t you worry, I just stopped by about half an hour ago when I heard the news. It’s only the Moomins and me here. You gave us all an awful fright, especially Moomintroll! Poor thing… he hasn’t even eaten dinner.”

“Snufkin! My boy, are you alright?” Exclaimed Moominpappa, sitting at the kitchen table. “Yes, I suppose so.” Snufkin mumbled, playing with the sleeves of his shirt. His ears were pink with embarrassment. “Ah, yes… Good, good. You gave us quite the scare. Moomintroll dragged you all the way here by himself, you know. You had better go outside and get him, let him know you’re alright. I believe he’s sitting on the porch. Then you can come in and have dinner.” “And dessert, I made cinnamon rolls.” Moominmama chimed in, washing some dishes. “Oh! And also, Snufkin, I made you some medicine, so you had better drink it after you eat dinner.”

Nodding, Snufkin ducked out of the kitchen and outside of the house. He immediately saw Moomin. He was curled up in a chair on the porch, seemingly dozing off. Creeping up to him, Snufkin quietly placed a hand on Moomintroll’s shoulder. “Hello, Moomin.”

Mooming nearly fell out of his chair. Yelping, he whipped around, sighing in relief when he saw who it was. “Snufkin! … You’re just like a cat, you know. Always scaring me! At least you should give me some warning,” He complained, before getting up and giving Snufkin a hug. “I was so worried… Don’t you ever scare me like that again! I woke up to the sound of you falling, and I didn’t know what to do, and I…” Sighing, Moomin parted from the hug and grasped onto Snufkin’s shoulders firmly. “I’m glad you’re alright.”

Snufkin was bright pink.

“Oh, no… You’re still sick, aren’t you? Let’s get you inside and have you drink some of Moominmama’s medicine.”

Without saying a thing, Snufkin nodded and followed Moomin inside the warm house.

***

“Thank you Moominmama for the dinner and the medicine, I think I should get going now.” Snufkin said softly, slowly rising from the dinner table.

“Oh, no!” Moomintroll exclaimed, standing up too. “You musn’t! It’s much too cold out there, Snufkin! You’ll get even sicker!” Moomin turned to his mother with a pleading expression. “Oh, please, mama. Can he stay until he’s better? I’ll make sure to take care of him!”

“Now wait one second, I’m sure I’ll be fine. It’s not that cold out there, really. I sleep in a tent all the time, even in the winter. I-” Snufkin was cut short by his own cough.

“Well, if Snufkin wants to, then he can stay as long as he’d like.” Moominmama remarked, picking up Snufkin’s dishes and taking them to the sink to wash.

Moomin turned back to Snufkin. “Snufkin, you’ll get really sick out there… I know I don’t usually ask you things like this, but would you please stay here? It’s always warm here, and I’ll… I’ll help with the medicine, and with the soups, and-”

“If I let you fuss over me, will that make you feel better?”

“Yes!”

“Then I suppose so. I’ll stay for one night.”

Moomin cheered, before walking around the table and grabbing Snufkin by the arm, dragging him up to his room. “Oh, mama makes the best soup, I can try and replicate it for you if you’d like. I always used to have it when I was younger. Oh! I’d usually let you stay in the guest room, but I want to make sure you’re okay during the night. You should sleep in my room!”

Snufkin froze up, forcing out a chuckle. “Ah, I might get you sick. I think it’d be best if I slept in the guest room.”

“Oh, are you sure?”

“Yes, positive.”

“Hm… I suppose so, then. Well…” They stopped in front of the guest room, and Moomintroll walked him inside. “You know where everything is. Oh! Let me get you some water.” Moomin hurried out of the room, coming back a short time later with a ridiculously huge cup of water.

“Holler if you need anything.” Moomintroll said, smiling.

Snufkin nodded, and soon had the room to himself. He wondered to himself why he agreed to stay here. He generally disliked being fussed over, and would’ve much rather slept in his tent. Deep down, he knew it was because of Moomintroll, and his confusing feelings for him. That made him frustrated. Snufkin went to bed thinking about these feelings, and how he was slightly anxious for the next day, but fell into a deep slumber nonetheless. Sickness does that to you, and whether or not he would’ve ever admitted to it, he dreamed of Moomin, and only Moomin.


	2. Chapter 2

Moomintroll was up early, hurriedly helping his mother in the kitchen for breakfast. “Oh, mama,” He sighed, “What if he doesn’t like the berry juice I made? I’m afraid it might not be as good as yours.”

“Oh, hush.” She said, walking over to Moomin’s pitcher of juice. Getting out a spoon, she dipped it in and had a taste. “Oh my! Moomintroll, this is splendid. You’re too harsh on yourself, I’m sure he’ll like it. Now, come and help me make the pancakes.”

And so he did. Moomin’s pancakes came out in strange shapes, which he was disappointed in, but Moominmama simply said that that gave them character. They were made with love, she said, so what did it matter if they were a little funny looking? Moomintroll thought about that, and decided that his pancakes were fine. If anything, he was excited for Snufkin to try his cooking. _Oh, Moomin,_ He imagined Snufkin saying, _These are the best pancakes I’ve ever had. Thank you, and please cook for me more. I’ll stay forever if you do._ Not that Snufkin would say something like that, but the thought of it made Moomintroll’s cheeks turn pink.

He really wished that Snufkin was more affectionate. He really did. When it came to the rest of his friends, they were very touchy with each other. He would often give hugs to Sniff, piggyback rides to Little My, and would sometimes cuddle with Snorkmaiden. Snufkin didn’t like being touched really. He wouldn’t flinch or anything, but it seemed like he always tried to get out of someone’s grasp as quickly as possible without being rude. He sometimes tolerated it, but not often. Moomintroll began thinking about what it would be like to hug him for an extended period of time, maybe cuddling like he and Snorkmaiden sometimes did. To hold his hands, to lay against his chest and feel the beating of his lonesome heart, to…

“Your pancake is burning.” A familiar voice said. Yelping, Moomintroll quickly flipped the pancake, before turning around. Little My was sitting at the kitchen table, swinging her legs back and forth. “Oh, Little My… You scared me! But thank you,” Moomintroll chuckled, “We wouldn’t want to have burned pancakes, now would we?”

“No, but you’re thinking about something.” She grinned mischievously. “Tell me what it is! You can’t hide anything from Little My!”

Moomintroll huffed. “Well, it’s none of _your_ business.”

“Well, fine, be secretive about it, but I’ll find out one way or another. You only zone out like that when something big has happened. I bet you’re worried about Snufkin, aren’t you? Is that it?”

 _Yes, that too, but that’s not what I’m thinking about._ Moomintroll thought to himself. “Ah… Yes, I suppose. I think we’re done with breakfast, would you mind checking to see if Snufkin is awake?”

“Fine. But I better get an extra pancake.” Little My said, running out of the room.

Soon, everyone started gathering at the table. Moominmama was setting down the plates full of food while Moominpappa sleepily drank some of Moomin’s berry juice. Little My, who returned from waking Snufkin, started inhaling her pancakes as soon as Moominmama set her plate down. Moomintroll started to wonder where Snufkin was, but he didn’t wonder for long. Snufkin walked into the room, and he looked… well, awful. He was pale as a sheet, except for his cheeks, which were bright red. There were dark circles around his eyes, and he seemed to be sweating.

“Oh… Snufkin, are you alright?” Moomintroll rushed over to him, a worried expression on his face.

“I think I’m sicker today. But yes, I’m alright.” Snufkin replied, his voice slightly gravelly. He sniffled, and looked past Moomin towards the kitchen table. “I’d say it smells good, but I can’t smell anything,” He chuckled, “Oh, it does look delicious though.”

The two sat down at the table and started to eat. Snufkin seemed to pick at his food at times, but ate most of it anyway.

“This was delicious, Moominmama, thank you.” Snufkin remarked, smiling politely.

“Well, don’t thank me, Moomintroll did most of the work.” Moominmama said serenely. She gave a quick pat to her son’s head. “He was so worried that you wouldn’t like it, but I’m glad to see that you did.”

“I- You’re embarrassing me…” Moomintroll mumbled, before looking back up to Snufkin. “I’m glad you like it, Snuff.”

 _Snuff_. There was suddenly a lump in Snufkin’s throat, but he quickly cleared it and nodded to Moomin. “Yes, yes. Well, would you like to-” _Cough_. “Would you like to go out on an adventure today? Maybe we could-”

“Oh, no, Snufkin. You must rest! I have all sorts of things we can do indoors, though. I have puzzles, and games, and books that we could read together! I just got a new book actually, it’s quite good so far.”

Snufkin frowned. He didn’t like staying indoors long, and the fact that he had already stayed the night already was a little much. However, he made a promise to Moomintroll that he would stay at least one night, and by extension, the rest of today. “I… suppose we can. What’s this book about?”

“Well…”

***

Snufkin was sound asleep, his head resting in Moomintroll’s lap. Moomintroll thought this book was exciting, but it still put Snufkin to sleep! They were holed up in Moomin’s room, with a light rain falling outside. A lamp softly illuminated the room, the orange light highlighting Snufkin’s face. Moomin sighed, and looked at the back cover of the book.

_Princess Veronica is about to be married off to a far-away prince, when she meets a beggar while she is outside of the castle. She sees him for his personality instead of his wealth, and he does the same with her. The two slowly fall in love, but is their love strong enough to take on the obstacles they will soon face? Read to find out!_

Sometimes Moomin wished he could have a love like that. Strong, head-over-heels, successful despite all the odds. Snorkmaiden and him had dated for a while when they were children and into their early teens, but she has since decided that he… wasn’t her type. Her type was strong, sweet, chivalrous, and female. They were still great friends- they had grown up together, after all- but he was sometimes left feeling a little lonely. They still were physically affectionate, as he was with most of his friends, but there was nothing to be desired. He sighed.

Looking down at Snufkin, he brushed some of that brown hair behind the mumrik’s ear. He noticed some new hair, sprouting down the sides of the other boy’s face. They were in their late teens now, and Snufkin had begun to look more and more like his father, the Joxter. Or, at least, that’s what Moominpappa had said. If he was being quite honest, he thought Snufkin looked quite handsome now. It was slightly patchy, but if it grew out enough, it would probably compliment his jawline well.

Moomintroll began playing with Snufkin’s hair, going on for a few seconds before realizing what he was doing. Turning a light shade of pink, he retracted his hand. _Oh, no_.

_Oh no, oh no, oh no._

It was _this_ again. The eternal longing. When they were younger (and even now, to be quite honest), Moomintroll would always wait for hours outside, waiting for Snufkin to return to Moominvalley for the spring. Sometimes he would wait days, and anybody who bothered him while he waited would be wasting their time, because all Moomintroll would talk about was Snufkin. He always felt a strong connection to the other boy, but for all intents and purposes, they were best friends. However, when Snufkin wasn’t looking, sometimes Moomintroll would glance at the other and feel his heart ache. Ache for the fact that he could never keep Snufkin in Moominvalley for the winter, ache for the fact that Snufkin never looked at him the way he wanted him to, and ache for the fact that what he _wanted_ would never be a reality.

_Wanted?_

What _did_ he want, exactly?

Snufkin stirred, nestling further into Moomintroll’s lap, letting out a sigh in his sleep.

Moomintroll’s heartbeat quickened. He wanted something but he wouldn’t dare think of it, let alone say it. What he wanted was impossible, a pipe dream.

What he wanted was Snufkin’s lips against… _against_ …

Snufkin stirred again, this time waking up. Eyes half open, he turned and lazily smiled up at Moomintroll. “Sorry, I’ll get up, I’m just a bit comfortable.”

“Ah, yes, take your time,” Moomintroll said, barely above a whisper. Then, he blurted out, “O-Or! You know, you’re sick, you can fall back asleep if you’d like. Get some rest. In my lap. Because you’re sick.”

“Hmm, well, tempting as that is, I’m quite thirsty.” His voice was a bit raspy. Sitting up from Moomintroll’s lap, he began to walk towards the door (presumably to go downstairs and get some water), but suddenly bent over, having another coughing fit. Getting up from the bed, Moomintroll rushed to his side, rubbing his back and making sure Snufkin didn’t fall over.

“Snufkin… You seem a bit worse for wear. Maybe, if- if you want to, I mean… Maybe you should see how you feel at the end of the day and… Perhaps you should stay another night.”

“Moomintroll-”

“Yes, yes, I know. You like to be free, and it isn’t like you to be caged up somewhere. But it hasn’t exactly been warm out and I’m worried you’ll get even more sick in that old tent of yours. We can go out and explore tomorrow if you’d like, maybe to the beach. But it’d make me feel a lot better if you were inside, warm, and being given medicine.”

Snufkin was quiet for a moment, contemplating this. He then gave what seemed like a defeated sigh and shrugged his shoulders. “Only if we go to the beach tomorrow. I’m feeling a bit cooped up in here, if I’m being honest.”

“Well, we could go on a nature walk before dinner if you’d like. We can go to-”

“How about we have one of our midnight swims? Like old times?” Snufkin blurted out. Now beet red, he stammered, “Or, perhaps… perhaps another time. When I’m not i-ill.”

“Oh, that’d be lovely, but yes… When you’re not running a flu.” Moomintroll was a bit pink himself. “Like I was saying, maybe I could take you to see some flowers this evening. I think we need to pick some for Moominmama and me to make your medicine.”

“Well, that sounds like a deal.”

***

Moomintroll and Snufkin strolled along the meadow, pointing out the various flowers they knew, and pointing out others just because they looked nice. When they were younger, Mr. Hemulen would often take them on hunts for various flowers, teaching them the names of them as they went.

“Huh, I believe that’s the Cuckoo flower.” Snufkin said, pointing.

“And that’s a Spring Beauty!” Exclaimed Moomintroll.

They went along, before Moomintroll stopped in his tracks and picked some of the nearby flowers. Snufkin walked a few steps ahead before noticing, quickly backtracking and quizzically looking at Moomin. “Is something the matter, Moomintroll?” He inquired.

“No, nothing at all. But…” He began fiddling with the flowers in his hands, braiding the stems together. “Ah… Snorkmaiden showed me how to do something like this. You braid the stems together and make a crown out of flowers. I… think it might look nice on your hat, Snufkin. Would you like to try? I’ll show you!”

“Huh, sounds like fun.” Snufkin said, quickly sitting down in the flowers. “Show me how to make that first braid, and I’ll follow you.”

The two boys sat there for what seemed like forever, braiding flowers together. They would mess up, laugh, and try again. Once Snufkin got the hang of it, he was surprisingly more proficient in braiding the flowers together than Moomintroll. Eventually, however, they both had two fully formed flower crowns.

“Mine is a little bit lopsided, but you can have it.” Moomintroll said bashfully, handing over the crown. Snufkin turned a light shade of pink, nodding silently. Taking it from the other, he put it around his hat. It was a snug fit, but not snug enough to be worrisome.

Moomintroll stared at the other. The flowers complimented the green of his hat and clothes nicely, and the sunlight was shining on him perfectly. They hit his brown eyes just right, making them look like a deep gold. Like a pool full of amber. Moomintroll could swim in those eyes forever if given the chance.

“I… I suppose I should. Um. Give you this, then.” Snufkin muttered, shoving his own flower crown towards Moomintroll.

“Yes, don’t mind if I do.” Moomin said. He sounded slightly out of breath. Taking the crown, he lightly put it on top of his head and smiled. “We didn’t even take measurements and they fit. I would consider that good luck, wouldn’t you, Snufkin?”

Snufkin said nothing for a brief moment, staring at the other with wide eyes. His face turned beet red, and he coughed into his sleeve a few times.

“Oh, no,” Moomintroll said, “I forgot you were still sick. We should get those flowers for the medicine and bring them back to Moominmama.”

“Yes… I suppose so.” Said Snufkin.

They went on their way, quickly scouting the area for the flowers they needed. They found them right away and begun to make their way back. The two boys would occasionally look at the other, stealing glances when nobody was looking.

Snufkin thought Moomintroll looked like an angel in that crown.

Moomintroll thought Snufkin looked ethereal, otherworldly.

Once or twice they met eyes, but would quickly think to themselves, _Now, I hope he didn’t think anything of me looking at him. How awkward. But how I wish I could stare longer..._

***

Moomintroll was hard at work in the kitchen, stirring up a small pot of medicine for Snufkin. Snufkin had retired to his room with a book that Moomin had lent him. Moominmama had given Moomin all the directions for the medicine, but he still worried that he had messed it up somehow.

It tasted… bitter.

Was it supposed to taste bitter?

For good measure, Moomin stirred in a cup of sugar into the medicine, hoping that that would make it more palatable.

Finally, he was finished. Pouring a cup of it (and saving the rest for the next day), he walked up the stairs and to Snufkin’s room. Knocking first, he pushed his way in.

“Snufkin?”

“Yes?”

Snufkin was in his night clothes, laying under the blankets with his nose buried in the book Moomintroll gave him.

“You know, I might need to borrow this from you. It’s awfully interesting.” Snufkin remarked, putting it down. “Oh, did Moominmama make the medicine already?”

“No, I did it all by myself. I told you I was going to take care of you!” Moomintroll said triumphantly, walking over and handing him the cup.

“Why, thank you.” Sipping on it, Snufkin smiled. “Oh… it’s sweet.”

“Was it not sweet when Moominmama made some yesterday?”

“No, but I’ll have to say that I like this better. I quite prefer sweet things over bitter.”

Moomintroll smiled, and turned to leave. He was a few steps from the door when he paused. Turning, he looked uncertainly at the other boy. “Snufkin?”

Snufkin blinked. “Yes?”

Moomintroll’s face went pink. He meant to say something meaningful, but instead sputtered out, “Let me know if you need anything.” and hurried his way out of the room.

 _Strange,_ thought Snufkin.

Moomintroll hurried to his room, face reddening the farther he went. _Stupid, stupid, stupid,_ he thought, practically running into his room. Locking the door behind him, he ran into his bed and immediately hid under the covers.

It seemed to convenient that he had been thinking a lot about these feelings when Snufkin got sick. Perhaps it was because of these feelings that he invited Snufkin to sleep over. He wanted to spit out everything he ever thought about Snufkin, every little thing, until there was nothing left to say. He seldom let himself get so worked up over these thoughts, but being in contact with Snufkin for such an extended period of time was probably getting to him. His heart felt like it was going to explode whenever he saw the other boy. He felt pure happiness whenever he was with him. Nobody else made him feel like that.

Burying his head into his pillow, he contemplated and contemplated, running it all over and over in his head until he got tired and fell asleep. He would later feel frustrated that he spent another night thinking about his dearest friend, Snufkin.

Little did he know, Snufkin spent the night thinking about the other boy too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yeet i hope you guys liked it! thank you for the positive responses so far <3


	3. Chapter 3

Snufkin got up quite late the next day. Not because he slept in late, but he felt as if he needed a little time to himself. He laid under his blanket, silently thinking to himself, pretending to be asleep when Moomintroll came in and put his breakfast on the dresser. Overall, it would’ve been quite a lazy and peaceful morning if not for Snufkin’s chronic overthinking.

He stared at the breakfast that now sat on his lap. It was a meal of fresh fruit, porridge, and chocolate hazelnut milk. While it was a wonderful meal, and while he was quite hungry, he still picked at it sadly.

He could tell that Moomintroll cared for him, he really did. Why else would he go through all this trouble to take care of him? However, it wasn’t in the way that he wanted. Snufkin left for months during the winter, he needed his space after all, and he quite enjoyed his travels. But there was always a nagging feeling in the back of his head, saying _I miss him._ He wouldn’t ever give up his lifestyle, but he was almost always a little relieved whenever he returned to Moominvalley in the springtime. He knew Moomintroll missed him during the winter, but Snufkin chalked it up to missing someone as you would miss an old friend.

Well, they were friends, weren’t they? Snufkin thought that that should be all that he asked for, and that maybe it’d be selfish to ask for more out of an already good thing, but there was always a twinge in his heart whenever he and Moomintroll would have their late night talks. Occasionally they would sneak out of Moominhouse, and go along the river and… just, well, talk. About Snufkin’s travels, about Moomintroll’s feelings, about loneliness and love and the universe and what was _really_ on their minds. Well, maybe more so for Moomin. Snufkin was always willing to explore these deeper topics, but he didn’t wear his heart on his sleeve like Moomin. He never got _too_ specific about what he was feeling. It was mostly vague and open-ended. If he _really_ talked about what was bothering him, he was afraid his dearest friend wouldn’t want to have these talks anymore.

He was just glad that Moomintroll respected his space.

After slowly finishing up his meal, Snufkin made his way downstairs. He said good afternoon to Moominmama and Moominpappa before spotting Moomintroll dozing off on the living room couch. Creeping up to him, Snufkin leaned over the other boy and whispered into his ear, “Boo.”

Moomintroll jumped, banging his forehead against Snufkin’s. The two boys groaned, Snufkin holding his head in his hands while Moomintroll rubbed his forehead and blinked at the mumrik. “Ow, Snufkin, you- Snufkin! You’re awake!” Quickly forgetting his pain, Moomintroll got up off the couch and patted Snufkin’s head. “That’s your fault, you know. You shouldn’t have scared me like that.”

“I know, I know. But I couldn’t help it.” Snufkin said, chuckling. He sniffled lightly.

“Oh… how are you feeling? Let’s get you some medicine.”

“Better, actually. But not by much.” Almost as to prove his point, Snufkin sneezed.

Moomintroll frowned, putting his hand on the small of Snufkin’s back and guiding him to the kitchen. He warmed up the medicine in a small pot before pouring it into a cup and giving it to the other boy.

Snufkin took a sip. “Hm… tastes like rock candy. You know, the ones Moominmama used to give us when we were younger.”

“It’s probably all the sugar I put in there…” Moomintroll mumbled.

Snufkin finished his medicine with a big gulp. “So, Moomintroll, you promised that we’d go to the beach today, did you not?” He smiled lazily, brushing some of his chestnut colored hair out of his eyes. _He needs a haircut,_ thought Moomintroll, _but he does look awfully handsome with the length it is now._

Moomintroll stared at Snufkin longer than he intended. Immediately getting flustered, his eyes darted away, before stammering, “Y-Yes! Of course! Why don’t we go now?

“Well, if you say so.”

***

Snufkin walked up the beach, looking for shells. He had taken off his boots and hat and rolled up his pants; He had no intention of going in the water, but the wet sand felt nice under his feet. Looking along the sand, he paused as he saw a wave wash against the shore, carrying in a small pale disk. Reaching down, he picked up a sand dollar. “Moomintroll, come look what I found!” He called.

Moomintroll ran on over, gasping when he saw what Snufkin had. “A sand dollar! Those aren’t common at all!” He looked down at the conch shell in his hands, mumbling, “I thought I found some pretty nice shells too…” He put the conch shell into a little basket that he was carrying, which was holding the rest of the shells that the two had found.

Snufkin smiled. “Oh, they’re fine shells, I promise. But here,” He said, putting the sand dollar in Moomin’s hand, “You can have it.”

“Oh, really? But you found it, Snufkin!”

“Consider it my gift to you.”

“Oh… thank you.” Moomintroll averted his gaze, a rosy pink haze appearing along his cheeks. “Anyway, the water is too cold to get into, but it’s quite warm out. Why don’t we lay down? I’m a bit tired from running up and down this beach.”

“Yes…” Snufkin sniffled, “I don’t think it’d be wise for me to get in the water, anyway. You pick a spot.”

The two boys wandered up the beach for a while before finding a nice cozy spot to sunbathe. Moomintroll laid out a large blanket, laying down on it and closing his eyes. Sunfkin slowly laid down next to Moomintroll, putting his hands behind his head. The two boys were quiet, which was fine. They were close enough that they could enjoy some comfortable silence from time to time.

But the urge was too much. Snufkin felt it nagging at him. Finally giving in, he opened his eyes and slowly glanced over at Moomin. His white fur was shining against the bright sunlight, making it look like there was a light glow around him. _Almost like an angel,_ thought Snufkin. He looked so peaceful and serene, slowly dozing off. Snufkin felt his heart beat faster. _If only…_ thought Snufkin, _if only I could just… lean over and…_

He felt his arm moving up as if to stroke Moomintroll’s cheek, but he quickly pulled himself back. He sighed to himself and turned his back to Moomin, feeling forlorn, lonely. Who was he kidding? He always tried to push down his longing for his dear friend, even though Moomintroll took up every space of his deepest thoughts. _I wish things were like they were when we were younger,_ he thought, miserable. Things were much simpler then. He wasn’t aware of how much he cared for Moomin then, he was so happy-go-lucky and naive. Now things were complicated. Maybe not on Moomintroll’s end, but on his.

Suddenly, he felt arms wrap around his torso.

_This again._

Moomintroll was fast asleep, and in his sleep, he clung to anything nearby. Snufkin’s heartbeat quickened as he stood stiff as a board. He was unbelievably tense.

“Moomin?” He called softly, hoping that he could wake up the other.

No answer.

Biting his lip, Snufkin felt something building inside of him. He tried to put his finger on it, but it was overwhelming him, making him feel like he was holding his breath and being deprived of air. He felt like he wanted to yell- no, he felt like he wanted to cry- no, again… It was… It was…

 _Desire._ He felt _desire!_ Desire to turn around, and…

Snufkin bit his lip harder, feeling tense. _Fine, fine!_ He told himself, _I’ll try it. But if this backfires, I’ll…_

Carefully lifting Moomintroll’s hands up, he slowly turned around to face the other boy, repositioning himself so that Moomin was still holding him but so that they were now face-to-face. Snufkin turned beet red, immediately noting to himself that this might’ve been a mistake. He gazed upon the sleeping Moomintroll’s face, now only a few inches from it. His breath quickened. _Oh no, I shouldn’t have, I shouldn’t have…_

Moomintroll muttered something in his sleep, before moving closer to the other and nuzzling his head into Snufkin’s chest.

Snufkin felt paralyzed. This was unlike anything that’s happened to the two before. Sure, during sleepovers, Moomintroll would latch onto him. But Snufkin would inch away until he eventually fell off. Now, to have Moomin’s head in his chest…

Hesitantly, he put his arms around Moomintroll as well, and tried to close his eyes and doze off.

He succeeded.

***

Moomintroll woke up feeling very warm, and admittedly, very comfortable. Nestling his head into _something,_ he let out a small sigh of contentment. He was about to doze back off, when he realized.

He was at the beach.

_With Snufkin._

He almost didn’t want to open his eyes, but did anyway, peeking up from Snufkin’s chest to look up at the sleeping boy. Snufkin had his long arms draped over Moomintroll, pressing him against his body. Moomintroll let out a small gasp, suddenly getting a little bit dizzy from how fast the blood rushed to his head. Almost instinctively, he buried his head into the other’s chest out of embarrassment, but quickly realized what he was doing and pulled away again. _Oh, how did this happen?_ He thought to himself, feeling his heart flutter in his chest. Sniff and Snorkmaiden had told him before that he was a hugger in his sleep, but for the most part, people seemed to shrug him off. But this time… Snufkin…

He looked up at the mumrik’s face, noting how peaceful the other boy looked. _Maybe he’s a hugger in his sleep too…?_ Moomin pondered, but quickly dismissed it, as he had slept in the same bed as Snufkin before and had never been hugged back.

He decided to enjoy the moment, since this was probably the only chance he’d get to do something like this. He nuzzled his head against the other’s chest, but all the movement must’ve woken Snufkin, because the other boy yawned and sleepily opened his eyes to gaze softly at Moomintroll.

The two boys didn’t say anything for a few seconds, clearly embarrassed. “Well, they told me you were a hugger in your sleep.” Snufkin remarked wryly, before untangling himself from Moomintroll. Sitting up, he stretched his arms and yawned, not looking at the other boy. Moomin saw a faint pink haze upon the other’s cheeks. _How embarrassing. I wonder what he’s thinking right now, I hope he doesn’t think any less of me._ Thought Moomintroll.

“A-Anyway, Moomintroll, we had better get back,” Snufkin muttered, “We might be late for dinner.”

“Dinner!” Moomintroll exclaimed. “Oh no! I was meaning to make you mama’s soup recipe! Let’s go!”

Hurriedly packing up their things, the two boys rushed off to Moominhouse, mostly in silence.

***

That evening, Moomintroll managed to make a wonderful soup and fresh bread for everyone in Moominhouse. The entire dinner, he was eyeing Snufkin, trying to gauge how he felt about it.

“That was wonderful, Moomin.” Snufkin said, smiling and patting his mouth dry.

“Oh… Thank you very much!” Moomintroll said, bowing. “The prince of Moominvalley knows how to make a mean stew.”

“Only because his mother taught him the recipe.” Moominmama remarked.

“And only because he wanted to make it for Snufkin!” Little My jeered, laughing.

“Oh, hush!” Moomintroll huffed, “I like cooking!”

“Since when?” Little My inquired, a sarcastic look on her face.

“Well… Um…”

“It was good either way.” Snufkin interjected, getting up from his chair. “I’m afraid I should go, though.”

Moomintroll got up from his seat as well. “Oh, but you’re not better yet! Please stay another night!”

“Sorry, but I think I’ll be just fine. You shouldn’t worry about me, you should worry about other things. Like the fact that Little My is stealing your bread.”

Whipping around, Moomintroll yelled, “Hey!”, shooing Little My away from his plate. Turning back around to face Snufkin, his eyes were pleading. “Are you sure?”

“Yes. I should be off now.”

Moomin watched as Snufkin said his goodbyes and walked out the front door, going back to his tent. His eyes were black with disappointment and everyone could see it.

“Now, now, he’s not going away forever.” Moominmama said, “He’s only right outside the house.”

“But he’s sick, mama. And it was so nice having him around for once.” Moomin complained back at her. “He always leaves for days at a time. He’s always alone.”

“Well, that’s the way he likes to be. Fussing about it won’t change that.”

“I suppose.” Moomintroll sighed.

***

That night, Moomintroll laid in bed and looked at the sand dollar that Snufkin had gifted him. _Oh, Snufkin,_ He thought, _I wish you would stay._

Suddenly, he heard a _thwack_ against his window.

Curiously, Moomintroll walked over and peered outside. It took him a second, but he spotted Snufkin standing down on the grass. Opening the window, Moomin called, “Snufkin?! It’s almost midnight, I thought you would’ve been asleep by now!”

“I’ve been thinking, Moomintroll,” He called back, “I want to talk.”

Moomintroll suddenly had a lump in his throat. He felt shameful. A million thoughts rushed through his head, but he simply shouted, “Alright! I’ll be right down!”

Moomintroll scurried down the rope ladder, stumbling a few times with how nervous he was. At the bottom, he noticed his hands were shaking. Turning around, he saw Snufkin. While his form was illuminated by the moonlight, he couldn’t quite see his face clearly.

“So, what is it that you wanted to talk about?” Moomintroll asked timidly.

“Well, not here,” Snufkin said, “Let’s go somewhere quieter.”

“Oh? Like where?”

“I’ll show you.”

***

Snufkin led the other boy through the woods. He was nervous out of his mind, feeling like his heart was going to beat out of his chest. Maybe if he just had a heart attack right here, right now, he wouldn’t have to do this.

He spent some time thinking in his tent, and he felt like he was going crazy. Having Moomintroll nestled against his chest woke something in him. He wanted to do that again. Even if he wasn’t sure how to go about it, he had to tell Moomin _something._

They came to a clearing with a large river running through it. The moonlight shone upon the water, making it look like it was made out of liquid ivory. Snufkin turned to Moomintroll. “I told you I wanted to go for another midnight swim.”

Moomintroll gaped at Snufkin. “I- Snufkin! You’re far too sick to get in the water, and it’s the middle of the night! I’m sorry, but-”

“I’ve decided that I’m feeling better.” Snufkin interjected. “Also…”

Snufkin paused, unsure of what to do next. He didn’t have a plan, mostly because he was hoping that the words would come to him in his time of need.

They didn’t.

“Yes…?” Moomintroll asked nervously, fiddling with his fingers. “It’s quite late, Snufkin, I-”

“Do you know what happened at the beach today?” Snufkin blurted out awkwardly.

“Uh, yes-”

“Well, I’d like to do that again sometime.” His face was a blistering red, and he could feel his fists trembling.

“Is that the best you could do?”

Snufkin felt his heart sink, but it quickly punched its way out of his chest as Moomintroll stepped forward and embraced him. Snufkin could feel the warmth in Moomin’s face as it pressed against his shoulder.

“You’re silly.” Mumbled Moomin.

“I suppose.” Snufkin said, breathlessly.

“Do you want to go for that swim?”

“Yes please.”

Moomintroll was already ready to swim, and Snufkin quickly stripped down to his boxers. The two jumped in the river, which was admittedly freezing, but they hardly noticed. Splashing at each other and swimming around, they had fun for a good few hours before crawling out and laying along the riverbank.

They were both panting, looking up at the moon. Snufkin began to doze off, before Moomintroll rolled over and nuzzled into his chest. Snufkin looked down, and was quickly met with a peck on the lips.

“Not here,” Murmured Moomintroll, “We can’t sleep here. It’s much too cold. Let’s go home.”

So the two went back to Moominhouse, up the ladder, through the window, and into Moomintroll’s bed.

They were nestled into each other’s arms until morning.

And later on that day, Moomintroll managed to get sick as well.

_Achoo!_


End file.
